Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Consumers continue to be time starved, however today they are
increasingly looking for fresh ‘better-for-you’ foods and all food retailers
are looking to fill that need-set according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®
at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Some of
you may not know that Freight Farms is a leading innovator of smart hydroponic
software and containerized growing environments.Freight Farms recently announced the addition
of Grown by Freight Farms, an on-site vertical farming service, to its product
line. Simply put they help you grow your own fresh food inside your restaurant,
grocery store, or convenience stores.Is
your company looking for some new
electricity to drive customer relevance, top line sales, and bottom line
profits?

Now with
Grown, Freight Farms will not only install its signature hydroponic
farm—the Leafy Green Machine—on site, but staff a designated farmer to operate,
monitor, and maintain the farm completely. What could say fresh better that a
garden in your retail outlet that customers and see?

This is
something you can add quickly because by eliminating the need to train staff
for farming, Grown can immediately integrate with any foodservice operation,
employer amenity package, or produce supply chain. Clients choose what to grow,
and how that produce will be distributed within their organization. Ease of
integration makes Grown ideal for corporations, universities, residential
communities, hospitals, and other clients committed to food transparency and
wellness.

Farming
in a controlled environment means clients can depend on consistent costs and
quality year-round, regardless of season. Leafy Green Machines can be installed
mere steps from the plate, drastically reducing food-miles. They consume just
five gallons of water per day or less, and require no major construction to
deploy.

"Our
mission with Grown is to provide a solution to institutions that see the
immense value of local produce, and would rethink their sourcing methods if
challenges like personnel and facilities management were reduced," says
Brad McNamara, CEO and Co-Founder of Freight Farms.

The Grown
program is already supplying B.GOOD, a Boston-based farm-to-table
restaurant chain, with lettuce for its popular Cousin Oliver Burger. Meanwhile,
3D design software company Dassault Systèmes enjoys a thriving CSA program for
employees at its Waltham, MA campus.

"Since
Google installed their Leafy Green Machine in 2014, institutions all over the
world have used them to promote involvement and education around nutrition,
sustainability, and technology," says Jon Friedman, Freight Farms COO and
Co-Founder. "Now, by removing the burden of managing those farms
internally, we hope to reach more people than ever."

Freight
Farms is currently accepting new Grown clients in New England, with plans to
roll out nationwide in 2019.

Average
Grown packages start at $5,000 per month, which includes custom crop
scheduling, maintenance, supply replenishment, 24/7 farm monitoring, and all
farming operations, such as seeding, transplanting, and harvesting. Add-ons
range from marketing and branding services, to in-farm educational events and
on-campus CSA programs.